


Underestimated

by punk_rock_yuppie



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Implied Betty/Archie, Implied Jughead/Archie, M/M, Multi, Pre-Slash, takes place during 1x1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 12:54:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9608441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: he was looking for the girl next door. instead, he found me.Jughead is jealous.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is for the two anons on tumblr who prompted 'jealousy', for a jarchie fic!
> 
> it's short, but i really love this and i hope you all do too!

“I’m kind of terrified I lost my best friend tonight.”

It shouldn’t sting, but it does. He and Archie haven’t really been friends for a couple months, and things were going sour even before fourth of July weekend. Puberty, Jughead figures, shoved a wedge between them and things went downhill fast. He hasn’t been Archie’s best friend for a while. There’s no reason his gut should be churning, his heart racing, blood rushing in his ears. He’s never been Archie’s only friend, he’s always known that, but this—in this moment it hits him square between the eyes that he and Archie aren’t… Aren’t _‘he and Archie,’_ anymore.

“If you mean Betty,” Jughead starts, though he knows perfectly well who this discussion about. Not him, the ex-best friend. No, about Betty Cooper, who Jughead both envies and pities in spades. “Whatever happened, just talk to her.”

He lets his gaze drop from Archie’s sorrowful, wide eyes, puts his attention elsewhere. The lights of Pop’s cast shadows across the jut of Archie’s chin, his brow, and Jughead loses himself in them for a moment.

“It’ll go a long way,” he adds half-heartedly.

In an instant, the sadness blooming in his chest dissipates and is consumed by a sudden and bright rage. It fills his chest with the speed of a California forest fire, and spurs the next words out of his mouth.

“Would’ve gone a long way with me.”

Archie stares back looking even more lost and put-out, but Jughead doesn’t feel guilty. Doesn’t feel vindicated, either, but he’s not going to feel sorry for Archie Andrews right now. Not when Archie is the one who walked out on him, when Archie is the one going around breaking hearts like it’s the latest fashion. Even though it aches in his chest to stare down Archie’s desperate expression, Jughead doesn’t cave.

He focuses on the jealousy flickering in his heart instead.


End file.
